Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1887-09-10
THE PARK PROJECT.
Some Very Hard Fi-ted Views by n bea '
Taxpayer aud manufacturer.
To he EiisOr OF The RspiSn.

Some Very Hard Fisted Views by n Hea v
Taxpayer and Manufactures.
To he EhtOr Of the RsgiST.
SIR:-Though 4 Republican and an un-
compromising advocate of giving the sol
der and his memory the fullest need OF
praise; / am materially opposed to making
him the means OF involving u city in
useless debt, and of pushing through a job
80 manifestly absurd as to be otherwise
universally secuted and hooted At
The real and only questions are, do We
need the park? VIII it repay the invest
ment? Can the money be better invested?
First-Do We need the park? The one
we have combines all that is lovely in ma
ture, with all that is beautiful In art, and
Is reached by a charming railroad ride, In
itself q diversion as il winds along the
varied scenery of the creek valley. The
proposed park is a quagmire, located on
low land, subject to overflow, and instead
of the wooded hills and landscapes about
the other, has for its surroundings street
car stables, ice houses, Bridgeport factories
and the bare hills beyond, and
is reached either by slow and crowded
street cars for the consideration Of ten
cents or by a long and upattractive walk.
How many will go and why should theyp
What is there TO welcome the eye or TO
delight the cal? Rather, what is not there
to assault the nostril? Better 20 to the
creek bank at once. If one smell is good,
how much better one dozen. Bah! THE
offense is rank and smells to heaven"
Again, how remarkable that at the very
time the property is to be sold, the propo-
sition comes up to have the city purchase
it and for $50, 600. How convenient a
way of putting a price on it! Could it be
better arranged? $50, 600 to purchase, $25,-
600 to improve and $1,000 yearly to
maintain q strip Of land without one
single attraction of location or environment!
Secondly-Will 1t repay the investment?
Has any one the effrontery to even
claim such a thing? Will it really i'm
prove the city in any way? Will it smooth
the streets, reduce the cost Of manufacture,
add to transportation facilities or increase
our population? Or will it merely add TO
the cost of every citizens living through
increased taxation and so operate against
our city as q manufacturing site, and that
to crafty a foolish and useless piece of
vanity-to respond TO a manufactured de-
mand?
Third-Can the money he better invest
ed? The question answers itself. The
list of real and pressing needs is already
astounding. How much is needed to pave
-.- 5000 L. ,,r.h % rnHn,. Aha
wharf and its approaches? How much
for sewers, cutters and walks9
How much for higher and increased
water service and filters, for light
ing the streets, for the thousand con-
yeniences of a city? Above all, how much
for the railroad bridge which, instead of
an exhaustless opening into which to pour
money, will be a permanent and sure in
yestment with certain profit? Why, our
very existence as a competing point is
threatened. Wheeling, in sore need Of all
these things to construct n ''pdrk"! Fit
emblem of the savage who must have his
Jewels even though his body 60 naked!
Let us cease to worship and chase madly
after Folly. Too long has she held full
sway. She has blundered on, paved our
streets miserably, let us rnn into useless
debt, involved US in useless expenditure,
and even now sits enthroned on the hill
top where the smoke of her incense from
the fHhatory ascendenth forever. Down
with her! Set up Reason! DO not OBJ
scure the real issue, nor cover il up with
the cloak of pretended and false patriot
ism. Above all, do not prostitute the
good name of the soldier to accomplish
what looks very like a job and to commit
a silly blunder. Clear away the debris
and look at the proposition itself squarely
and it will be relegated to the obscurity
of all absurdities, where it belongs.
PROGRESS.